Election Countdown 2012: Hundreds Take to the Streets in Tampa for the RNC, and More

This week in the election countdown: Hundreds take to the streets in Tampa for the RNC; about 1,000 fracktivists in New York including, it seems, a good-sized contingent from the Southern Tier, marched up State Street toward the Capitol on Monday afternoon; an Occupy Easton protester faces an attempted bank robbery charge following an arrest at an organized event at a bank during whixh he held up a sign that reportedly read, "You’re being robbed"; and more.

RNCon protests. Crowd size: “Police outnumbered demonstrators Monday as hundreds took to Tampa’s streets to protest the Republican convention. After the FBI and Department of Homeland Security issued a joint bulletin warning Tampa’s convention could be targeted by anarchists, police in tan uniforms were positioned all along the protest route. ” … Crowd size, March on the RNC: “[O]nly around 200 gathered for the event. Ignoring the poor turnout, and the fact that the start of the convention had been postponed until Tuesday, the march set off at 12 noon, accompanied by almost as many police officers.” … March on the RNC: I saw the climax of the march on TimCast, where the march got as far as the fences round the conventon. A few thoughts: Yes, the crowd was in the hundreds. The police presence was farcically intense. The marchers were a great deal more diverse than mainstream photography shows — the mainstream tend to focus on cut young tattooed men with their shirts off in the rain or the black clad and fleet of foot. The march itself was a good deal more diverse in age, gender, and fashion statements. The TimCast voice-overs were excellent, though the description of police compliance technology verged on weapons pr0n; indeed, it seemed to me that there was a good deal of intelligence gathering going on with both sides (and that this might be a reason to hold the march). Finally, it generally goes unremarked that it takes a lot of courage to approach Darth Vader-like police lines wearing T-shirts and light shoes. So I’ll remark on it. As far as raison d’etre, see below at in the Convention section, since most the reasons for having or not having a convention apply to the protesters and occupiers as well as the party apparat.

DNCon. Charlie Crist: “The former [FL] R governor confirmed Monday that he will be speaking at the DNCon next week in Charlotte, NC.”

Conventions. Political scientist: “With tens of thousands of politically interested and politically active individuals concentrated in a small space, political careers are inevitably fostered (or not) and policy proposals inevitably furthered (or not) in a manner largely independent of what central convention strategists are doing.” Good wrap-up, complement to Stoller. … Political scientist: “The convention is a chance to witness factionalism within a party. Although party leaders will go through great efforts to downplay dissent, sometimes rival factions will use convention events to make their viewpoints heard or champion certain candidates. Supporters of Hillary Clinton did this in Denver in 2008.” …. Pundit: “Keep the two big TV speeches. But do we really need four days?” But see above! …. Reporter: “What a convention offers, more than anything, is a cross-section of a political party. Not just the delegates and alternates, but also the fund-raisers, the political operatives, the ambitious local officials, and the volunteers. The 2020 GOP presidential nominee might well be wandering around Tampa without an entourage. My point is to encourage anyone covering their first convention to be creative when it comes to defining what is news and what is worth their time to pursue.” … Reporter: “Spoiler: Mitt Romney wins the nomination. Oh no, I’ve given away the ending. Sue me.”

Montreal. Voting: “”There was a time when students were talking about swallowing their pride and voting strategically,” said Jess Corneau, an executive member of CEGEP de St. Laurent’s student union. “But that conversation is over now. We’re hearing more and more people say they’ll vote Québec solidaire or Option Nationale because they don’t feel represented by the PQ.” … Voting: “What’s astonishing about this election campaign is that, while a few weeks ago Quebec was vibrating with colorful demands from students, artists and intellectuals from all over, education and culture seem to have been left by the wayside. We have moved from a state of effervescence and constant creation that everyone wanted to be part of, if only by playing their casserole, to total radio silence.” That’s not a bug. It’s a feature.

GA. Militias: “Four Army soldiers based in southeast GA killed a former comrade and his girlfriend to protect an anarchist militia group they formed that stockpiled assault weapons and plotted a range of anti-government attacks, prosecutors told a judge Monday.” Anybody who pays attention knows that “anarchist militia” is a contradiction of terms; the Atlantic, which should know better, repeats this. Gawker (!) is better, writing that their tattoos are “the extent of the reporting thus far on their political motives.”** Which is a tell that the ZOMG!!! Teh anarchists!!! talking point is, gosh, whocouldaknowed, being propagated from somewhere. If you know any anarchists who joined the military to get the tools to overthrow the Zionist Occupation Government, leave a comment. And the timing does seem more than a little odd, doesn’t it? Too bad it’s too late to put that “diversity of tactics” toothpaste back in the tube, though. [** On the other hand, putting on my tinfoil hat for a moment, Gawker also has evidence that one of the soldiers was a page at the 2008 Minneapolis RNCon. And we know what went down there. An anarchist double agent? A DHS triple agent?]

IA. “Burdensome regulation: “If the DNR considers a new rule regarding runoff from agricultural facilities, I would define water utilities and citizens who rely on public drinking water as stakeholders, along with the potentially regulated farm owners. It is ‘burdensome’ for hundreds of thousands of Des Moines Water Works customers to cover the cost of the world’s largest nitrate removal system.”

NY. Fracking: “About 1,000 anti-fracking protestors — including, it seems, a good-sized contingent from the Southern Tier – marched up State Street toward the Capitol on Monday afternoon.” The Southern Tier is Cuomo’s proposed sacrifice zone. …. More guns, please: “The state Commission on Judicial Conduct has recommended the censure of Tioga County Judge Vincent Sgueglia for approving his own pistol permit and accidentally firing one of his guns within the county courthouse.’

VA. Enthusiasm: “Though hundreds lined up on Sunday before campaign officials began issuing passes for President Barack Obama’s Charlottesville appearance, tickets remain, according to campaign officials.”

WI. Police state: “Wisconsin Capitol Police Chief David Erwin said Monday he will soon begin clamping down on protesters, strictly enforcing the Capitol’s rules in an effort to restore normalcy and safety to a building that has become home to regular demonstrations.”

Outside baseball. Business ethics: “[Paul Leiman of Johns Hopkins] often starts his [business ethics] course asking students if they would be willing to go to prison for three years in exchange for $3 billion. More than half usually say the would, noting that’s more than they could ever earn — and that a job is sort of like being in prison anyway.” And only small fish go to prison anyhow. … Go topless protest at the White House: NSFW!

The trail. Identity politics, Ron Brownstein: “For Obama, the winning formula can be reduced to 80/40. In 2008, Obama won a combined 80 percent of the votes of all minority voters, including not only African-Americans but also Hispanics, Asians, and others. If Obama matches that performance this year, he can squeak out a national majority with support from about 40 percent of whites–so long as minorities at least match the 26 percent of the vote they cast last time.” … Hispanic vote: “Most likely, the Romney team believes the nationwide Hispanic vote is irrelevant, since most Latinos live in states such as New York and California that will vote Democrat anyway. … Swing states: “If you’re a voter in TX — or CA — it doesn’t really matter what you think.” So vote for an emergent party!

*13 days until the Democratic National Convention ends with an airdrop of bottled water and C-rations for everyone on the floor of the Panther Stadium, Charlotte, NC. The flag of the United States has 13 stripes in honor of the 13 original colonies.

This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.

Election Countdown 2012: Hundreds Take to the Streets in Tampa for the RNC, and More

This week in the election countdown: Hundreds take to the streets in Tampa for the RNC; about 1,000 fracktivists in New York including, it seems, a good-sized contingent from the Southern Tier, marched up State Street toward the Capitol on Monday afternoon; an Occupy Easton protester faces an attempted bank robbery charge following an arrest at an organized event at a bank during whixh he held up a sign that reportedly read, "You’re being robbed"; and more.

RNCon protests. Crowd size: “Police outnumbered demonstrators Monday as hundreds took to Tampa’s streets to protest the Republican convention. After the FBI and Department of Homeland Security issued a joint bulletin warning Tampa’s convention could be targeted by anarchists, police in tan uniforms were positioned all along the protest route. ” … Crowd size, March on the RNC: “[O]nly around 200 gathered for the event. Ignoring the poor turnout, and the fact that the start of the convention had been postponed until Tuesday, the march set off at 12 noon, accompanied by almost as many police officers.” … March on the RNC: I saw the climax of the march on TimCast, where the march got as far as the fences round the conventon. A few thoughts: Yes, the crowd was in the hundreds. The police presence was farcically intense. The marchers were a great deal more diverse than mainstream photography shows — the mainstream tend to focus on cut young tattooed men with their shirts off in the rain or the black clad and fleet of foot. The march itself was a good deal more diverse in age, gender, and fashion statements. The TimCast voice-overs were excellent, though the description of police compliance technology verged on weapons pr0n; indeed, it seemed to me that there was a good deal of intelligence gathering going on with both sides (and that this might be a reason to hold the march). Finally, it generally goes unremarked that it takes a lot of courage to approach Darth Vader-like police lines wearing T-shirts and light shoes. So I’ll remark on it. As far as raison d’etre, see below at in the Convention section, since most the reasons for having or not having a convention apply to the protesters and occupiers as well as the party apparat.

DNCon. Charlie Crist: “The former [FL] R governor confirmed Monday that he will be speaking at the DNCon next week in Charlotte, NC.”

Conventions. Political scientist: “With tens of thousands of politically interested and politically active individuals concentrated in a small space, political careers are inevitably fostered (or not) and policy proposals inevitably furthered (or not) in a manner largely independent of what central convention strategists are doing.” Good wrap-up, complement to Stoller. … Political scientist: “The convention is a chance to witness factionalism within a party. Although party leaders will go through great efforts to downplay dissent, sometimes rival factions will use convention events to make their viewpoints heard or champion certain candidates. Supporters of Hillary Clinton did this in Denver in 2008.” …. Pundit: “Keep the two big TV speeches. But do we really need four days?” But see above! …. Reporter: “What a convention offers, more than anything, is a cross-section of a political party. Not just the delegates and alternates, but also the fund-raisers, the political operatives, the ambitious local officials, and the volunteers. The 2020 GOP presidential nominee might well be wandering around Tampa without an entourage. My point is to encourage anyone covering their first convention to be creative when it comes to defining what is news and what is worth their time to pursue.” … Reporter: “Spoiler: Mitt Romney wins the nomination. Oh no, I’ve given away the ending. Sue me.”

Montreal. Voting: “”There was a time when students were talking about swallowing their pride and voting strategically,” said Jess Corneau, an executive member of CEGEP de St. Laurent’s student union. “But that conversation is over now. We’re hearing more and more people say they’ll vote Québec solidaire or Option Nationale because they don’t feel represented by the PQ.” … Voting: “What’s astonishing about this election campaign is that, while a few weeks ago Quebec was vibrating with colorful demands from students, artists and intellectuals from all over, education and culture seem to have been left by the wayside. We have moved from a state of effervescence and constant creation that everyone wanted to be part of, if only by playing their casserole, to total radio silence.” That’s not a bug. It’s a feature.

GA. Militias: “Four Army soldiers based in southeast GA killed a former comrade and his girlfriend to protect an anarchist militia group they formed that stockpiled assault weapons and plotted a range of anti-government attacks, prosecutors told a judge Monday.” Anybody who pays attention knows that “anarchist militia” is a contradiction of terms; the Atlantic, which should know better, repeats this. Gawker (!) is better, writing that their tattoos are “the extent of the reporting thus far on their political motives.”** Which is a tell that the ZOMG!!! Teh anarchists!!! talking point is, gosh, whocouldaknowed, being propagated from somewhere. If you know any anarchists who joined the military to get the tools to overthrow the Zionist Occupation Government, leave a comment. And the timing does seem more than a little odd, doesn’t it? Too bad it’s too late to put that “diversity of tactics” toothpaste back in the tube, though. [** On the other hand, putting on my tinfoil hat for a moment, Gawker also has evidence that one of the soldiers was a page at the 2008 Minneapolis RNCon. And we know what went down there. An anarchist double agent? A DHS triple agent?]

IA. “Burdensome regulation: “If the DNR considers a new rule regarding runoff from agricultural facilities, I would define water utilities and citizens who rely on public drinking water as stakeholders, along with the potentially regulated farm owners. It is ‘burdensome’ for hundreds of thousands of Des Moines Water Works customers to cover the cost of the world’s largest nitrate removal system.”

NY. Fracking: “About 1,000 anti-fracking protestors — including, it seems, a good-sized contingent from the Southern Tier – marched up State Street toward the Capitol on Monday afternoon.” The Southern Tier is Cuomo’s proposed sacrifice zone. …. More guns, please: “The state Commission on Judicial Conduct has recommended the censure of Tioga County Judge Vincent Sgueglia for approving his own pistol permit and accidentally firing one of his guns within the county courthouse.’

VA. Enthusiasm: “Though hundreds lined up on Sunday before campaign officials began issuing passes for President Barack Obama’s Charlottesville appearance, tickets remain, according to campaign officials.”

WI. Police state: “Wisconsin Capitol Police Chief David Erwin said Monday he will soon begin clamping down on protesters, strictly enforcing the Capitol’s rules in an effort to restore normalcy and safety to a building that has become home to regular demonstrations.”

Outside baseball. Business ethics: “[Paul Leiman of Johns Hopkins] often starts his [business ethics] course asking students if they would be willing to go to prison for three years in exchange for $3 billion. More than half usually say the would, noting that’s more than they could ever earn — and that a job is sort of like being in prison anyway.” And only small fish go to prison anyhow. … Go topless protest at the White House: NSFW!

The trail. Identity politics, Ron Brownstein: “For Obama, the winning formula can be reduced to 80/40. In 2008, Obama won a combined 80 percent of the votes of all minority voters, including not only African-Americans but also Hispanics, Asians, and others. If Obama matches that performance this year, he can squeak out a national majority with support from about 40 percent of whites–so long as minorities at least match the 26 percent of the vote they cast last time.” … Hispanic vote: “Most likely, the Romney team believes the nationwide Hispanic vote is irrelevant, since most Latinos live in states such as New York and California that will vote Democrat anyway. … Swing states: “If you’re a voter in TX — or CA — it doesn’t really matter what you think.” So vote for an emergent party!

*13 days until the Democratic National Convention ends with an airdrop of bottled water and C-rations for everyone on the floor of the Panther Stadium, Charlotte, NC. The flag of the United States has 13 stripes in honor of the 13 original colonies.

This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.